The recent Meta-Gallup Global State of Social Connections survey has revealed a surprising trend: young adults aged 19 to 29 are the loneliest group, with 27% reporting feelings of loneliness. This finding challenges the common assumption that the elderly are the most isolated. While retirement, widowhood, and reduced mobility can contribute to social isolation in older adults, the survey data shows that majorities of adults aged 45 and older do not feel lonely. The survey, which included responses from over 142 countries, highlights the complex nature of loneliness and the need to understand the underlying factors driving it.
One key factor is the constant rearrangement and life changes that young adults experience. From moving for work or study to forming and dissolving households, young adults are constantly adapting to new social situations. This churn appears to matter more than the raw number of friends a person has. A 2025 study in PLOS One by Jeffrey Hall and colleagues supports this idea, suggesting that young people are learning how to hold onto friends while adapting to frequent life changes.
However, another competing explanation is the way young adults connect online. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, has characterized a cultural drift in how relationships are maintained, with people moving from having confidants to contacts, from having friends to having followers. This shift from quality to quantity may contribute to feelings of loneliness among young adults.
The survey's finding does not imply that young adults are abandoned or that older adults have it easy. Rather, it highlights the complex nature of loneliness and the need to understand the underlying factors driving it. The data cannot settle the direction of travel, but it does suggest that the loneliness young adults report may be a phase that eases as lives stabilize, or it may be a higher baseline that carries forward as they age.
In conclusion, the survey's findings challenge our assumptions about loneliness and highlight the need for further research to understand the underlying factors driving it. As Ellyn Maese, a senior research consultant at Gallup, noted, "loneliness is not just a problem of aging — it’s a problem that can affect everyone at any age." If you are experiencing feelings of loneliness, it is important to seek support from a qualified counsellor or therapist, rather than relying solely on reading about the pattern.
